The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-27
NATIVE INDIANS OF ALASKA.
Shamefully Treated by the Govern
mentETheir Initiative Power.

Shamefully Treated by the Govern
mentETheir Initiative Power.
Miss Kate Field, the well-known lecturer
and writer has returned from Alaska. To
a San Francisco Chronicle reporter she said
ALASKA is a deeply interesting country,
and it has been shamefully treated by the
United States government. The United
States acquired the country twenty years
ago, and up to 1876 it was under military
rule. Then that was withdrawn, and for
ten years there was no government what
ever, and even now the probate court and
the United States Commissioners can hardly
be called that. This is not just to the people
there either Indians or whites. When the
country was purchased il was distinctly I'M
derstood that schools were to be established
for the education of the Indians and white
children. Now, after the lapse of twenty
years, they are only talking of building
school houses
"The Alaska Indians are a different kind
of people from the Indians here, and the
government has never understood with
whom it had to deal. Instead of the In
dams improving under its care, since moth
ing has been done toward educating them.
they have become utterly demoralized by
contact with the whites. This is particu-
larly the case with women. The govern
ment is responsible for this decentralization.
would require but little training to become
good citizens. One can earn a living so
easily there that there is no hard work.
They have but to cast the line or set the
seine and are supplied with fish; or If they
want game, they have but TO take the gun
and they can get all they wish. The ma
tives possess remarkable powers of imita-
ton. Here is some of their work" and
Miss Field showed the reporter some Of the
curios collected during her trip.
TO explain what they could do as silver
smiths, Miss Field exhibited an engraved
silver band which she wore upon her arm,
the engraving of which was a work of skill
The collection comprises closely woven mats
with Greek pattern worked in them and
curiously carved "totums," or family his
tories, which, Miss Field said, stood outside
! the Indian hutS TO the height of forty or fif-
ty feet, one representing the history of the
fathers side of the family and the other
the mothers All the natives belong
TO the Bear or Eagle family, and the upper
most carved figures on the totum is eth &c r
an eagle or a bear The collection com
prises also miniature canoes of the Alaskan
and Chinook patterns, medicine" rattles
carried by the "medicine-men, a shepherds
| pipe. like that carried by peasant in one
of Watteau's pastorals; native drums and
tambourines, woven baskets, ladle in the
;.
with which the natives formerly dug out
their canoes, a native gambling layout,
consisting of thirty pieces of highly polish
ed hard wood; strangely carved wooden
spoons. some of which are over 200 years
old, charms in the shape of fishes and many
other objects of interest.
A Chilcat blanket was shown by Miss
| Field. upon which Is related the entire his
tory of the tribe. Every Chilcat woman
possesses one of these Blankets which are
woven of the wool of the mountain sheep,
and take about three months patient labor
| to make The dyes with which the blanket
Is colored are obtained from roots, and the
natives have variety of them from which
they obtain many colors and from which
they dive their baskets and other work
They have now adopted aniline dyes, how
ever. and this in Miss Fields opinion, spoiled
their work from an artistic point Of view.
TO show the peculiar initiative powers Of
the Indians. Miss Field exhibited hat of
woven straw In the Chinese fashion, which
had been copied by the natives from the hats
worn by the Chinese brought over 10 Alaska
by Capt Meares macy years ago. A navy
| officers cap. initiated In straw. was also
/ shown
In ending the interview, Miss Field said
/ that Ire Government should do something
| for Alaska. for the natives were not a peo-
ole 10 h. daspiaed, 10 way nothing Of the
/ white there She did not care ~ expires.
/ IA, oplnlou 10 regard 70 the Asiatlc origin N
/ he Alaskan Indians, but die said that IN her
mind tbers was 10 doubt tbat japanese
I iunls h9d been wrecied On ne cosst, and
/ fhat there sas y strain ~ japanese blood
running through ne native rae.